Swimming has developed far beyond just a recreational sport, expanding into various occupational and military activities. This development has created a need for improvements in the devices used in the act of swimming, with the swim fin being one of the major component advancements. Swim fins increase a swimmers capability greatly on the surface, and are a necessity in the act of deep diving using open-heel dive fins.
There are three basic styles of fins, the full foot pocket style forming a shoe-like [generally pre-formed] foot pocket and the fixed-heel strap style, both having a variety of propulsion blades with the heel strap, or pre-formed foot pocket, as an integral part. These styles of fins have a fixed-heel strap [or pre-formed foot pocket], and must be purchased to the size of the foot of the individual that will be using them. With this style of fin the distributors must carry a large variety of sizes along with the different styles. The full foot style of fin must be discarded when one of the heel straps break.
The third style of fins referred to, as open heel or strap fin is adjustable to the individual using them by the means of the heel strap usually incorporating a buckle adjustment mechanism. This style of fin also has a variety of styles of propulsion blades. Adjustments in size are most commonly accomplished by the means of a buckle on one or both sides of the open heel pocket. The majority of fins of this style have a heel strap mounting knob with an enlarged head and a shank member affixed on the outer surface of either side of the foot pocket as an integral part of the fin. The heel straps are attached to these knobs by different means of attachment that generally incorporate the buckling mechanisms for adjustment, so the heel straps can be replaced if they break or no longer will tighten properly or are inadvertently lost, which is most common at the beach. Often these straps and buckles are expensive and hard to find with most distributors preferring to sell a new pair of fins, and swimmers not having the convenience of carrying a spare set of straps for their fins. The open heel or strap style of fin is most commonly used when the swimmer wants the option of wearing or not wearing the protective booties in cold water requiring the adjustment of the fin size. Another difficulty presented by the straps after a period of time is the metal buckles will cut the rubber straps at the gripping area or the metal buckles will chafe the ankles of the swimmer; or the plastic buckles can be broken or lost.
Several inventors have endeavored to patent new and improved heel straps for the open heel or strap style of fins but most are complicated adding to their expense, time it takes to effect a replacement, and generally retaining some form of buckling mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,067 of Giovanni Garofalo relates to swimming fins, especially the open-shoe type of swimming fin with a heel strap secured to both sides of the foot pocket, and relates more particularly to a buckle for adjustably fastening the strap to the fin. This patent typifies the conventional style of fins using the strap and buckle system. This device does not incorporate any of the unique features of the universal fin replacement heel strap, but concentrates on the leverage features of the metal buckling system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,336 of Robert B. Evans describes a uniquely configured fin having an open instep that is secured to the foot of the wearer by a padded securement means so as to accommodate a plurality of foot sizes. The heel strap consists of an elastic loop through a heel cushion secured to the fin by the means of a bracket. This patent dwells primarily with the unique open instep concept and the fact that the fins may be manufactured from a two-piece molding system. The heel straps, though similar do not make use of the knobs found on the most common fins and has no intention of being a universal fin replacement heel strap and in particular for open-heel dive fins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,334 of Giovanni Garofalo teaches of a swim fin equipped with a buckle for the fastening of the heel strap. The heel strap of this swim fin attaches in a similar fashion with a buckle for length adjustments to the conventional fin knobs on the sides of the foot pockets, except that this heel strap has the unique limited rotation feature requiring a radial tooth which cooperates with an abutment element on the knob to prevent the downward rotation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,983 of Tzong In Yeh discloses an adjusting strap structure for swim fins. Although this strap structure does not incorporate a buckling system, it is designed for a specific type of swim fins, and will not fit other manufacturers swim fins in that it does not make use of the knobs on the sides of most common swim fins.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,924 of Phillip W. Miller describes a heel strap for an open heel swim fin designed to securely hold the user's foot in the swim fin, yet minimize ankle and foot movement within the heel straps. The heel strap comprises a heel pocket and set of straps with buckles to attach to the swim fins. This device makes use of a locking receptacle or buckle to attach the heel strap to the sides of the foot pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,383 of Giovanni Battista Beltrani teaches of an adjustable back strap for diving and swimming equipment. Although this patent makes use of the conventional knobs and buckling attachment mechanism, it could possibly be seen as a universal swim fin strap, but it would be difficult to store a spare set because it is comprise of several types of buckling systems along with a complicated heel supporting structure.
In addition, other prior-art patents to Uke [U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,191], Raasch [U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,279], Lochbaum [U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,565], Kawashima [U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,604], and to Clark [GB 762,126], although solving other problems unique to swim fins, none are specifically directed to the open-heel dive fin. Moreover, none of the prior-art patents disclose the unique features and function of the present invention for use with open-heel dive fins which features permit the diver to continue a dive by using the tab ends of the present invention to attach the strap to the dive fin by inserting the tabbed ends through an orifice on the strap and to hold it or to tie it in place thereat. The present invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.